Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John L. Maltbie, County Manager
Subject: La Honda Fire Volunteer Fire Brigade Project
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of County funds, not to exceed $500,000, to the La Honda Fire Brigade for improvements to Station 57 in La Honda, and authorizing the County Manager, or his designee, to prepare and execute the grant agreement.
BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County contracts with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) to provide fire protection services and serve as the San Mateo County Fire Department for the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County not served by a fire protection district.
The County and La Honda Fire Brigade (LHFB) cooperate under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors (Resolution #069569, 07/22/2008), which authorizes LHFB to provide volunteer fire protection and emergency response services in cooperation with the San Mateo County Fire Department. The County's MOU defines a service area of 250 square miles of the County's rural mountains and south coast, and recognizes service of approximately 40 volunteer fire fighters including La Honda Fire Brigade and Kings Mountain Fire Brigade.
LHFB is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with an elected board of directors; its most recent by-laws were amended July 19, 2001. Formed by community members in the 1950s, local leadership and fundraising enabled the Brigade to purchase land and build the La Honda firehouse (Station 57) in 1968. Over the past 30 years, LHFB has completed a number of major remodels to Station 57, including the expansion of the current training room in 2007-2008.
DISCUSSION:
Station 57 consists of shared office space for LHFB volunteer fire fighters and a San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sub-station, a training room, kitchen, two bathrooms, a ...
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